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How can we better communicate our culture to others in today’s ‘global village’?

The state of the ‘global village’

Today’s world is a very busy place and more people are beginning to face living in multicultural societies. Apart from established multicultural areas like the world’s biggest metropolises, many other places on the map are starting to see transformations towards more ethnically, racially and religiously complex social compositions. Our neighbourhoods are becoming more diverse than ever before, but do we really know who our new neighbours are?

In our new ‘global village’ there are still conflicts and misunderstandings based on cultural differences, prejudices and stereotypes. On the other hand, as proved by many, contact with other cultures is an enriching experience as they are an invaluable source of knowledge and inspiration. “Today, the amount of human encounters and contacts is growing rapidly and the world climate will depend on the quality of our relations with Others”1 writes Ryszard Kapuściński, a renowned journalist and traveller. So how could this dialogue between cultures be improved?

Artefact development and methodology

In today’s world extensive amounts of data are being visualised in order to be quicker and better understood. Images, symbols, maps and isotype-style diagrams are used to portray complex subjects and stories hence the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. By combining my interests in culture and visually aided information I have investigated how different cultures can be promoted with the aid of images — a powerful, memorable and universal means of communication, and a captivating layer through which information can be absorbed more effectively by all people regardless of spoken language or education.

The first artefact was a questionnaire that asked people for words that would describe their own culture. These words would be subsequently visualised to create a collection of isotype-style inspired ‘visual dictionary’. This method, while informative, turned out to lack the personal touch, which is essential in rich cultural contact.

Therefore the next artefact was created with the ambition to be more personal while still holding the educational aspect. A blank card with a short instruction on the reverse was designed and given to individuals. They were asked to draw or attach an image representing an aspect of their own culture/identity, together with a concise summary of what they wanted to share. The Treashare cards have been an appealing instrument for a direct, physical contact with ‘the Other’ and provided first-hand knowledge about their culture. The cards have been given out on many occasions — at workplaces, meetings, parties and workshops and proved to be a playful device of cross-cultural education and inspiration.

The project was extended and the cards were introduced to the ‘global village’ as the following artefact — Culture Picture — a purpose-built social platform that hosts a collection of shared images and stories. The aim of this platform is to reach a global audience via the Internet and reveal ‘a picture of a culture’ based on multiple individual entries. The website can be browsed randomly or searched for a specific culture or keyword and it serves as an attractive ‘cultural collage’ guide.

The cards and the website serve an educational role back in real-life environment, as the images and cultures behind them can be discussed at informal meetings, classes in schools or workshops. A Very Cultural Workshop was the next iteration of the project. In a relaxed atmosphere, invited participants brought completed cards or created new ones. All the culture pictures were then discussed and debated.

The future for Culture Picture

In my view, the project has substantial potential considering possibilities such as: selected or commissioned culture pictures installed in public space to intrigue and raise awareness; a ‘cultural game’ with guessing and memorising pictures and stories; an instruction for creative school classes and workshops utilising the Culture Picture platform.

Essentially, the future for Culture Picture is that it will function not only as an attractive source of information but also as a more interactive and engaging tool for cross-cultural communication, education and inspiration, that will enrich, promote understanding and encourage empathy and dialogue between neighbours in our diverse ‘global village’.

About the Author

Aleksander Lenart is, among other things, a graphic designer and observer of culture.
www.lenart.pl